


Snatcher Week Oneshots

by ZurielWritings23



Series: A Hat in Time Tales [4]
Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Hat Kid and Snatcher have a father/daughter relationship in MOST of these, Hat Kid is Adorable(tm), Hurt/Comfort, Minor Angst, Oneshot, Tags will be added as we go!, hints at Hat Kid's backstory, these relate to my other Hat in Time stories!, tons of fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-01-02 12:57:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21162026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZurielWritings23/pseuds/ZurielWritings23
Summary: A collection of oneshots for Snatcher Week! I know I'm a little late, but I'll do my best to post at least every other day.Mostly fluff, but a bit of angst later on! These all will correlate to my A Hat in Time Tales series, so it's highly recommended that you read those first though it's not required.





	1. Day 1: FOOOOOOOOL!!

**Author's Note:**

> Oneshot summary:  
(Super fluffy - set after The Puppeteer) Hat Kid insists on spending a day with Snatcher to help him with his chores around his kingdom. Things get interesting when someone enters the forest uninvited.

“Pleeeeaaaaase???” Hat Kid pleaded, fingers laced together and hands raised in a begging gesture. “It’s so  _ boring  _ around here and I’m going crazy with nothing to do!”

Snatcher frowned lightly down at her, feeling his own resolve crumbling at her pouting face. He didn’t want her to be in danger, though he logically knew that she could usually hold her own. Besides, he knew that she’d sneak down to his forest to play pranks on him if he didn’t give in.

**“Oh, alright,” ** he relented with a sigh. He was smiling though, a giveaway to his wanting to spend time with her.  **“But you have to listen to everything I say!”**

He wasn’t even sure she heard that last part, due to her loud cheering the second he voiced his approval. He rolled his eyes and watched with an amused smirk as she briefly danced around.

Her request was to join him for a full day of taking care of Subcon, including forcing fools who stepped into his forest into contracts or scaring them out of his kingdom. She’d already donned her shadowy outfit that he’d given her for completing his Death Wish contracts, stating that she was now ready to go since she looked like him.

He’d never admit it out loud even to her, but she was just so pecking adorable.

“Race you there!” Hat Kid suddenly shouted, bolting to the telescope in her room.

**“Wha-hey!” ** Caught off-guard, Snatcher saw her magically teleport before he could stop her. Grumbling to himself despite the humor of the situation, he quickly dove into the floor of her bedroom and teleported himself to his kingdom.

His method wasn’t quite as fast as hers, and she was already chatting away with Moonjumper by the time he arrived.

_ “My, you have a lot of energy,”  _ the puppeteer commented, looking a bit uncomfortable. He was still getting used to her hyperness, after all, and it’d only been a few weeks since his alliance with Snatcher had begun.

“Yup! I’m gonna be like Snatcher today!” she announced, showing off her outfit to him with a twirl. “I even have this so I sorta look like him!”

Even Moonjumper couldn’t hold back thoughts of how cute the little girl was, especially with her enthusiasm being so contagious. He allowed his stagnant grin to relax with genuine happiness.  _ “That is very nice, little one,”  _ he complimented encouragingly, unsure how else to respond. He and his former rival still weren’t too fond of each other.

“Thanks!” She giggled before Snatcher approached them, then proceeded to get excited all over again like the child she was when she saw him floating there. “Oh! There you are! I beat you here, haha!”

He rolled his eyes again, trying to suppress a chuckle.  **“Yes, well, I don’t have advanced alien technology like you do.” **

She stuck her tongue out at him. “Too bad for you!” She had far too much energy, so much that she surprised herself. She hadn’t been this excited since… well, for a long time.

Both spirits picked up on her slight mood change, but Snatcher decided to let it be for now despite his mild concern.  **“Alright, kid, what do you want to do first?”**

The small damper on her mood lifted, and she was soon bouncing around the ghosts. “I dunno! Whatever you do, I wanna do! What do you usually do first?”

Snatcher blinked, surprised that she didn’t have something planned already.  **“Hmm… perhaps we could** **—** **wait a second.”**

There it was; that subconscious tug that told him an intruder had entered his forest. With a malicious grin, he turned to Hat Kid. The eager, overly-curious look on her face almost made him laugh.

**“Someone just entered my forest,” ** he announced. Hat Kid gasped.  **“Want to pay them a visit with me, kiddo?”**

“Peck yeah!” she shouted, jumping in place. She’d wanted to scare people with him for so long! It looked like a lot of fun.

**“Watch the language,” ** Snatcher chided playfully. He offered a hand to her.

She just giggled in response and took his hand, letting out a “Wheeee!” when he picked her up and swung her onto his back.

**“Hold on tight, kiddo! And remember to be quiet; the element of surprise is key to scaring people.”**

She gave a determined nod and made herself securely comfortable on his “shoulders,” hands gripping his mane for extra stability. “Ready!”

Without a hint of warning, Snatcher dove into the ground and melded with the shadows. Hat Kid gripped his fluff tightly as the world distorted, and she grimaced at the uncomfortable feeling. Then, as quickly as it started, it stopped as the Soul Stealer emerged from the shadows once more.

It took a moment for Hat Kid to regain her composure, the teleportation making her dizzy. Once she recovered and saw his questioning gaze, she gave her companion a grin and a thumbs-up to let him know she was okay.

Snatcher’s grin returned in full force and he drifted through the trees, their target soon in sight.

It was a member of the Mafia, and Hat Kid was fairly certain that he was the one who punched her in the face that one time. She made a face, but stayed quiet as her BFF had told her to be.

That was, until he spotted a Dweller and approached it. “What are you? Worm spirit? You in Mafia’s way!”

The poor Dweller didn’t know what to do as the Mafia man swung at it, and it was clearly confused as it simply drifted out of the way. It started to move faster as he gave chase, angry that it evaded his attack.

Hat Kid could feel Snatcher tense up beneath her, and she patted his head to get his attention. “Can I try to scare him? Pleeeaaase?”

He blinked, considering it, and then smiled.  **“Alright, kid.” ** He lifted her from his “shoulders” and gently set her on the ground.  **“Show me what you got!”**

The Mafia man hadn’t noticed or even heard either of them as he continued to chase the little ghost around, but he definitely heard the twig that Hat Kid purposefully and very loudly snapped in half. Unsure where the sound came from, he paused and looked around. Seeing nothing, he turned back to the Dweller only to find that it had disappeared completely.

Hat Kid, hiding in the bushes, giggled to herself as the Mafia member grumbled and resumed walking. She glanced up at the trees before swiftly climbing up the one closest to her.

She followed him from above, hopping from branch to branch and slowly getting closer. He didn’t seem to suspect a thing, not even looking up when she almost slipped once.

Then, it was time to strike.

As the Mafia man paused to grumble about something, Hat Kid positioned herself in the branches over his head. Putting on the most malicious grin she could muster, she dropped down right in front of the man’s face while shouting, at the top of her lungs, “FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!”

The shriek that came from the Mafia man was enough to send Hat Kid into a laughing fit, and he was soon running away with his hands flailing in panic. Meanwhile, Snatcher was too busy trying to fend off the emotions that had suddenly sprung up at the little alien’s imitation of him to carry out the rest of his plan.

Hat Kid soon regained her composure and returned to Snatcher, chest puffed out in pride. “How was that? Did I… uh, Snatcher?”

Her voice finally got his mind working again, and he blinked a few times before looking down at her.  **“Hm?”**

She was clearly concerned. “Are you okay? Why are you crying?”

Snatcher blinked several more times and wiped at his eyes, his claws coming back wet with unshed tears. He was obviously caught off-guard by this revelation, and he scrambled to regain some of his dignity.  **“Wh** **—** **I wasn’t crying! You’re seeing things, kid.” ** He straightened up and grinned at her.

She narrowed her eyes, unconvinced. “... okay.” She bounced excitedly on her toes, letting him get away with his suspicious behavior this time. “But, did I do a good job? Did I do it right??”

Snatcher’s smile softened, and he tousled her hair with a chuckle.  **“You did great. I’m…” ** Well, no one else was around except a Dweller or two. He might as well just say it, especially since she was looking up at him like she thirsted for praise and approval and he just couldn’t say no to that face.  **“I’m proud of you, kiddo. Don’t tell anyone I said that.”**

Hat Kid’s eyes went big, and in an instant she was clinging to him in a hug that he soon returned. “I won't! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

He was a bit surprised by her passionate reaction, but didn’t question it. Instead, he just grinned and held the hug for as long as his kid wanted. This seemed like a big moment for her, so who was he to rush it?

The little alien soon pulled away, easily landing on her feet as she dropped back to the forest floor. Filled to the brim with joy, she turned back to her father figure and hopped in place. “Let’s go scare him again! If he was scared of me, he’s gonna be  _ terrified  _ of you!”

Snatcher laughed and followed her closely as she ran in the direction the Mafia man had gone. This was one of the best days in all his afterlife, hands-down.


	2. Day 2: Contractual Obligations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Set after No Longer Alone) Snatcher learns that Hat Kid is going to return home.

Snatcher watched Hat Kid with narrowed eyes as she played with his minions, the group unaware of his presence in the shadows. Now that he didn’t have to worry about Vanessa for a while — it would take her a long time to get past his barrier — he took up stalking the little alien as a small hobby. It wasn’t out of interest in  _ her  _ of course; she was in his forest and he just wanted to know what she was up to. That was all, nothing more.

As he observed the children —spirits and mortal alike—playing with each other, he felt himself relax. Every since she’d become his servant of sorts, the Subconites had taken a liking to her. A few weeks later and after she completed even his advanced contracts (though he’d recently noticed a new place called the Metro that held potential for more challenges), his minions had clearly warmed up to her all the more. Looking at them now, an outsider would probably think they’d been close friends for life. Or death, he inwardly supplied with a quiet chuckle.

His amusement faded when the kids ended their game and Hat Kid’s expression sombered. Then, as she spoke with his subjects, their auras took on a saddened, bittersweet sort of air to them. He was too far away to hear them properly; what the heck was going on?

Eager to eavesdrop, he became one with the shadows and traveled through them until he was close enough to hear the children but stay out of sight at the same time. He frowned as he listened closely.

“. . . back, I promise!” Hat Kid was saying, trying to reassure the minions about whatever had made them upset in the first place. “I don’t know how long it’ll take, but—”

“Nooo,” one of the Subconites whined, clinging to her arm childishly. “What if you never come back?!”

Snatcher’s eyes narrowed. Were they talking about what he thought they were talking about?

“But I promise I will!” Hat Kid tried, giving the minion a hug and patting the back of their head. “I just… don’t know how long it’ll be.”

“A few days?” one Subconite tried hopefully.

The alien winced, obviously trying to placate her friends without making a promise she might not keep. She forced a giggle. “Um… it… might be a bit longer than that...”

Snatcher scowled. She was going to leave? Just like that? She’d defeated the red-hooded menace not that long ago, and ever since then she’d acted like she was a resident of the planet. He knew she wanted to go home, but why now? Why so soon? How long would she be gone? … wait, why did he even care?

He blinked as he realized he missed part of the conversation, and quickly returned his attention to the group of children.

“I’m sorry, but I gotta go,” Hat Kid said quietly. She looked to be holding back tears. “I’ll come back as soon as I can, okay? Thanks for playing with me.”

She gave them hugs and continued to comfort them as they said their goodbyes, and Snatcher dove back into the shadows.

He soon reappeared in his tree and plopped onto his chair, thinking hard. He didn’t want her to leave, but why? Ugh, emotions were confusing. He wasn’t at all used to feeling like this. It must’ve been for his subjects’ sake. Yeah; she made them happy, so naturally he’d want her to hang around and keep their morale up.

Yes, that was it. It couldn’t be anything else.

Letting out a low hum that somewhat resembled a growl, he conjured a contract in front of him and stared at the blank page. The weathered-looking paper seemed to gaze back, awaiting his mental orders for what should be written upon it. After a minute of careful consideration, he began to fill the page and put his developing plan into motion. 

Not much later, he could sense Hat Kid’s aura approaching, so he swiftly put the finishing touches in place before making the contract disappear in a puff of smoke. He picked up one of his books and pretended to be reading it.

“Hey Snatcher!” Hat Kid called as she bounded into his tree, grinning.

Her narrowed his eyes slightly, able to tell that her smile was somewhat forced even without sensing the sadness in her aura. Looking closer, he noticed that she’d definitely been crying.  **“Hey, kiddo. What’s up?”**

She shrugged nonchalantly. “Just got back from playing with your minions, and I wanted to see what you’re up to before I go back to my ship!”

Wait. Was she not planning on telling him that she was going to leave?

That made him mad, but he tried not to show it.  **“I’m just reading my book as usual, kid.” ** He made a show of looking suspicious.  **“... spill it, kiddo. Why did you really come here?”**

She blinked a few times in surprise, then looked down as she scuffed her shoe on the wood. “I, uh… wanted to tell you bye. For now.”

Oh. Maybe he jumped to conclusions a little too quickly.  **“What do you mean?”**

“I-I mean, I’m going back home,” she answered quietly. She finally looked up at him, head slightly ducked and startling him with how fearful she looked. Why was she afraid?

He frowned, then shrugged. Inwardly, he was clueless as to why her words made him sad. It was for his minions’ sake, right? But it also didn’t feel that way. Ugh.  **“You’re leaving? Why now?”**

Hat Kid gripped her arm nervously at his obvious disappointment. “Because if I don’t go back soon, they’ll come looking for me. And they’ll be mad at me for staying here so long.”

His eyes narrowed.  **“Why?”**

Her expression was suddenly guarded. “Because,” she replied shortly.

He blinked. Wow, well her attitude was definitely still intact. Apparently, her home was a sore subject. But why? Her behavior was confusing him.  **“... well, when will you come back?”**

She was abruptly anxious again. “I don’t know.”

Snatcher put his book down and glared.  **“What do you mean, you don’t know? You ARE going to come back, right?”**

Hat Kid was silent for a moment, then her signature smug grin slowly spread across her face as she saw an opportunity. “Are you saying you  _ want  _ me to come back?”

He quickly backpedaled.  **“No! I’m just saying, you make my minions happy, and their morale is important to me. I’m not heartless, remember?”**

Her grin didn’t waver. “Suuuuure.”

The ghost threw his hands in the air, frustrated.  **“You’re infuriating! Ugh.” ** He drifted into the air and crossed his arms, glaring down at her smug face before rolling his eyes with a huff.  **“You know what? Here.”**

He summoned the contract he’d made and it came into existence with a puff of smoke, appearing in front of a startled Hat Kid’s face. She looked at it, curious and apprehensive, before her brow knit with confusion and she stared up at the spirit king.

“... you’re trying to force me to come back within a week?” she clarified, gesturing at the magical paper. “And if I don’t, you’ll seriously come looking for me and murder me on my own planet?”

**“It’s the only way to keep my minions from panicking that you’ve left forever,” ** Snatcher hastily supplied. He didn’t miss the grin that flashed over her expression, before she suddenly seemed reluctant.  **“What’s the matter, kiddo? Can’t keep a simple promise?”**

The little alien bit her lip. “It’s just, I don’t know how long it’ll take. Going home from here will take a couple days, and I don’t know how my parents will react when they find out I lost the Time Pieces…”

He rolled his eyes and waved a hand dismissively.  **“Seriously, kid? Who says you need to tell anyone that happened? Just don’t mention it. You fixed everything anyway, right?”**

He was shocked by the seething glare that she was now giving him. “You don’t understand,” she grumbled, before her expression eased and she sighed. “It’s not that simple, Snatcher. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.”

His face scrunched up a bit.  **“Two weeks, then.”**

Hat Kid gave him an exasperated look. “Snatcher…”

He grinned in response; it was still fun to annoy her.  **“Hey, if they try to keep you longer, the contract will give you an excuse to come back sooner!”**

Her sternness broke into a giggle. “... that might sorta work.”

His smile visibly brightened.  **“Great! I’ll adjust the time period, then, and we’ll both leave happy!”**

With a snap of his claws, the contract was altered to give Hat Kid two weeks instead of one. Her smile softened as she looked over the contract again—making sure he didn’t change anything else—before she took the hovering quill and signed her name on the contract.

**“Excellent!” ** Adding his stamp to the paper, Snatcher swiftly tucked the contract away before teleporting it into her top hat, grinning with his victory. 

Hat Kid giggled again and hopped up to hug him, catching him off-guard. He froze temporarily, before giving in and allowing himself to return the hug somewhat. 

**“Be safe, kiddo,” ** he told her quietly as she pulled away.

Her expression softened again, and she grinned up at him with a tiny salute. “When am I not?”

Not giving him time to answer, she rushed out of his tree and jumped, holding up a Time Piece from her pocket. She soon whizzed up into the sky, flying up to her spaceship with the hourglass’ strange magic.

Snatcher watched her go, feelinging a certain fondness grip his heart and smirking at her humorous goodbye. At peace with her contracted promise he knew she’d keep, he drifted back into his tree and picked his book back up.

She was now contractually obligated to return within two weeks, and though emotions confused him, he felt a distinct joy at the knowledge that she wouldn’t be gone for too long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and prepare yourselves for some angst next chapter. ;)


	3. Day 3: Death Wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Angst/fluff - Set before No Longer Alone) Hat Kid's on her last chance, and a fatal blow leaves her at Snatcher's mercy.
> 
> [Quick head-canon that's important here: most of Snatcher's Death Wishes take place in a sort of pocket dimension that he controls, hence why he can manipulate abilities and enhance his own powers so much, not to mention bring Hat Kid back to life when she dies.]

**“Last life, kiddo. Better be careful so you don’t die for real! Ahahahaha!”**

Hat Kid rubbed at her face, sitting down outside of the fighting circle and trying to ignore the dread settling in her stomach. She’d completed most of the Death Wishes by now, and she’d already died twice to Snatcher’s super-powered self. She had one last chance, else she lost her life and her soul to the Snatcher for good.

Looking back, she wasn’t sure why she’d thought it a good idea to humor him and do his stupid “advanced contracts.” Some of them were a lot of fun, and it was always great to watch his flustered reaction as she powered through the challenges, but now...

Now that her life was really, actually on the line here, anxiety and regret twisted her insides. She’d gotten close to failing a couple contracts before, sure, but this was the last big one. The last Death Wish battle, and now the last chance to save her own soul.

Taking a big, deep breath, she got back to her feet and walked towards the arena. Snatcher was there and watching her, ready for the fight in his charged-up state. However, she thought she saw a flicker of emotion on his face before he hid it. Huh.

**“Ready to DIE, kid?” ** he asked eagerly, grin almost manic as his minions gathered around the outside of the circle to watch.

Hat Kid sighed and nodded, before shaking herself and getting into a battle stance. She was determined; she wasn’t going to lose. She couldn’t afford to. “You’re going down, Snatcher!”

He just laughed, clearly confident in his win.  **“You don’t know when to quit, do you?”**

With a quick swipe, her signature top-hat was gone from her head and placed on his own again. He laughed once more, and then the fight officially began.

She easily dodged the first set of attacks, having memorized their patterns by now. A few minutes into the face-off and she’d already had several near-misses, but still remained unharmed.

Jumping over a shockwave and avoiding the corrupted Time Pieces falling from above while sidestepped sparks, she grabbed the unbroken blue flask from the ground and hurled it at her foe. Snatcher flinched when it hit, but otherwise showed no reaction as he went right on to the next attack.

A few more hits on him, and she was getting hopeful that she was almost done. Unfortunately, that’s when the ghost decided to change his patterns.

She jumped out of the way of a laser blast, but then Snatcher suddenly sprang from the ground right underneath her and swung at her. Hat Kid let out a terrified scream as she was sent flying through the air, crashing into the wall of lasers and falling to the ground from there. She landed hard and rolled a few times, and before she could get up, she was hit by a flask that exploded on contact.

Everything hurt, so badly. It felt like she’d been fried alive, having taken such a direct hit from the lasers, and she couldn’t stop the tears that began streaming down her face. She attempted to get up, but her arms gave out and she fell back down with a strangled cry of agony.

She knew it was over. She couldn’t get up; Snatcher hardly had to lift a finger to finish her off for good. His layered laughter filled her ears, and she squeezed her eyes shut with pained acceptance of her ill fate.

Snatcher raised a claw, excited to rid himself of this brat for good and take her soul. But then he hesitated.

His eyes widened a little as some of the adrenaline faded, and he realized just how sad and broken she looked. Clothes singed; skin clearly burnt; and worst of all was the resigned, harrowing look on her face. Even though she was laying on her stomach, her head was turned enough so he could see her expression.

He’s never seen that look of defeat on her face before. As he’d watched her plough through his contracts, he’d seen so many sides of her. Angry; determined; sad; tired; discouraged. But she’d never fully given up, so this was new to him. She was literally bracing for her final death, and while he’d seen that expression on hundreds of faces before, seeing it on her made him feel… different. 

His claws briefly twitched, and he was utterly confused. Why was he hesitating? Why did he suddenly want to give her another chance? He was having a blast seeing her struggle, so maybe he just wanted to keep her alive so he’d have reliable entertainment. 

The very thought of that felt just plain wrong, and he couldn’t put a finger on why. He hadn’t felt guilty about doing the same to so many poor souls before Hat Kid… Wait. No. He wasn’t getting attached. He couldn’t be. He was the Snatcher, terrible Soul Stealer of Subcon! He was NOT going to soften up because of a mere alien child!

And yet… he felt something within him snap into place when he focused on her broken form again, and suddenly he was conjuring heart pons in his hand. Why? He really didn’t know, but he acted before he could stop himself.

Snatcher struck out, noticing her flinch from hearing the movement, and a crate near her exploded. He dropped the heart pons at the same time, then put on his angry face before she could realize what had happened.

**“What?! How did I—just when it counted, too!” ** he faux-raged to himself, seeing the pons absorbing into her in his peripheral vision.

Hat Kid fully expected death to seize her for the last time, but was absolutely floored when she instead felt life and energy flood her body. In an instant, her skin healed and wounds sealed, and she was jumping back to her feet. What just happened?! She glanced around and saw shards of the crate she’d fallen by; could he seriously have missed and hit a crate that happened to be full of heart pons???

… he did it on purpose.

Snatcher didn’t give her a chance to ponder the facts as he abruptly whirled around and angrily prepared his lasers for another assault.  **“You got lucky that time, ** ** _kid, _ ** **but now I’ll finish you off for good!”**

Hat Kid blinked, still reeling from what had just transpired, but regained her composure quickly enough to resume her dodging as his attacks started up again. A couple more minutes, and she landed the final hit on him.

As the blinding light dissipated, she blinked open her eyes and gasped at the ball of purple Time Pieces now in front of her. She excited grabbed them, and then the world around her distorted as she was transported back into her room. She’d done it! Finally!

She ran up to Snatcher and grinned at him. “What was that all about, BFF?”

He blinked, then rose an invisible eyebrow in feigned confusion.  **“I don’t know what you’re talking about, kid. You still have a few more contracts to finish up, so get back to work!”**

She giggled, undeterred as she leaned on his arm. Her grin only widened when his eye twitched at the physical contact. “Oh come on, you big ol’ softie! You know you —”

In one swift movement, Snatcher moved his arm out from under her and simultaneously elbowed her in the back, sending her into her pillow pool. Her alarmed squeak made him start laughing, and the glare she gave him when she surfaced only fueled his amusement.

Hat Kid couldn’t hold back her own giggles as she saw him laughing so much, and she couldn’t stay mad at him. She  _ was  _ teasing him pretty hard, though she thought he deserved it. She’d continue her teasing later, after she was out of her giant pile of pillows. Since she was already there, though…

Snatcher’s laughter was cut short when something soft suddenly smacked him in the face, and he looked down at the alien just in time to get hit with another pillow.  **“Why, you—”**

She kept volleying pillows at him, interrupting him every time he attempted to speak. Her grin was perhaps the smuggest thing he’d ever seen.

**“Wha—”**

_ Smack. _

**“Kid—”**

_ Smack. _

**“Look, I—”**

_ Smack smack. _

**“Alright, that’s IT!”**

Hat Kid let out a joyful shriek as her BFF dove at her, and she ducked into the pillows to avoid his “attack.” She felt his hand snag her ankle, and soon she was pulled into a wrestling play-fight against him. It wasn’t long until they were both laughing so hard they could barely breathe, and she’d never heard his laugh so light-hearted and happy before.

Emerging from the pillows, they both collapsed onto their backs near the Subcon telescope, still laughing and trying to catch their breaths.

“... I thought you... didn’t need to breathe,” Hat Kid pointed out once her side didn’t hurt so much. “Aren’t you a ghost?”

She turned her head to look at him, and immediately started laughing again at the shocked look on his face.

**“I—of course I’m a ghost! I was just… doing that for your benefit!” ** Snatcher lied, embarrassed at being caught. Truth be told, he’d been having so much fun that he’d temporarily reverted to the mindset of the prince, forgetting that he had no need for physical breath. Oops.

She giggled at his expense, and then hugged his arm. “Thanks, BFF. That was really fun!”

He tensed a little, but then just patted her head and chuckled. She clearly just had too much energy.  **“Yeah, well, don’t get used to it.”**

He wasn’t getting attached, no way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, and please let me know your thoughts in a comment below! I didn't plan the pillow fight at the end, but I'm glad it turned out that way. These two are so much fun to write! xD
> 
> Also, I just have to say, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! Your comments have been making me so pecking happy, and it's such a great motivation to keep going at a good pace. I now have the rest of the oneshots planned out, so the next one should be up in a couple days! Thanks again, everyone. You all mean so much to me. ^^ <3


	4. Day 4: Mail Delivery Service

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Angst and hurt/comfort - set after "The Puppeteer") Hat Kid has a bad day. Snatcher’s minions come up with the idea to deliver mail to her to cheer her up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ack, I'm sorry this one took so long! I ended up scrapping my original idea for this oneshot, then was hesitant because it kinda stretches the prompt. Finally, though, I'm happy with it. ^^

Something was wrong.

Snatcher hadn’t seen Hat Kid for two days now, and that was highly unusual. Since she’d returned to Earth after visiting her own planet, she’d made it a habit to spend a lot of her time with him, whether she was visiting him or vice versa. Since Moonjumper was working with Snatcher now, though, the Soul Stealer hadn’t wanted to risk the puppeteer being alone in Subcon. Their rivalry was still fresh in their minds, after all, and Snatcher knew of his thriving desire to take over the kingdom.

He paced in his home and used his aura to reach out to his minions, commanding a few of them to come to him. He didn’t have to wait long before a few of them were entering his tree.

“Yeah, boss?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Is this about the kid?”

Snatcher silenced their questions with a glare, and then spoke.  **“I don’t know if something’s up or not, but I haven’t seen the kid in a while so I’m going to visit her. I need you to keep an eye on moonboy for me, and alert me if ANYTHING happens!”**

The small group of Subconites were quick to answer with a few salutes. “Sure thing, boss!”

He nodded at them, satisfied, and proceeded to make his way up to Hat Kid’s spaceship.

He entered her home by phasing through her bedroom wall, ready to give her a small scare just for fun. As he emerged from the strange space-proof wood, however, he halted at the sight that met him.

Hat Kid was curled up into a little ball on her bed, facing her wardrobe and thus turned away from him. Her signature top hat was on its side at the foot of the bed, and from what Snatcher could see, her hair was messy and her clothes disheveled.

His first thought was that she was sick, but her aura seemed healthy enough despite being a little dimmed. Although, she  _ was  _ an alien, and he had yet to see her get sick, so he didn’t truly know what her aura would be if that were the case.

He shook his head to regain focus, and then drifted over to her bedside.  **“Kid?”**

She flinched and sat up quickly, obviously caught by surprise, and her eyes widened when she turned and saw him.

Snatcher’s concern only deepened when he saw her tear-stained face and red, puffy eyes. After a quick check that no one else was in the room, he gently put his hands on her shoulders and spoke softly.  **“Hey, what’s wrong? Are you sick?” ** He could feel how tense her shoulders were.

Hat Kid sniffled and shook her head no. Subconsciously relaxing at his familiar touch, she looked away and wiped her face on her sleeve for the umpteenth time that day.

The ghost frowned softly, recognizing that she was going non-verbal.  **“Look, kid, I can’t help unless you tell me what’s wrong.”**

She hugged her knees to her chest and bit her lip, still not looking at him. “... stay?”

He scrunched his face slightly.  **“Uh… I’m... not quite following.”**

The little alien pointed at him with a glance, and he blinked as it finally clicked.

**“Oh. You want me to stay here with you?”**

She looked up at him timidly and nodded. With a small sigh and only a moment’s hesitation, he obliged and shrunk himself just enough to be able to fit comfortably on her bed. As he proceeded to curl loosely around her, she almost immediately snuggled into his fluff and buried her face against him.

He frowned lightly down at her, though he was quick to embrace her in an effort to comfort her. He hadn’t really seen her act this way before, or at least not to this extent; usually, when she got upset she’d obsessively fix or otherwise work on things. She didn’t seem the type to get depressed like this.

The blazing question of  _ why  _ burned in his mind, but he pushed it back. She was being incredibly clingy, which he knew by now meant that she was feeling insecure, and he didn’t want to risk scaring her away with his inquiries. He’d just have to wait. 

Several minutes passed before Snatcher felt a tug in the back of his subconscious. He blinked and focused on it, receiving his minions’ message: NEED YOU. MOONJUMPER. 

The spirit let out a small sigh, not wanting to leave his kid to deal with whatever was bugging her alone. But if the puppeteer was causing trouble, he didn’t have much of a choice. 

He felt Hat Kid’s grip on his fluff tighten as he shifted, and he looked down to be met with her pleading turquoise eyes. Did she somehow know, or was she just guessing that he was about to go?

He gazed at her sympathetically.  **“I’m sorry, kiddo. I have to leave; Moonjumper’s causing trouble.” ** He didn’t let himself focus on how her lower lip trembled.  **“I’ll be back as soon as I can, okay?”**

Reluctantly, he uncurled himself and gently untangled her hands from his mane. Hardly able to stand leaving her like this, he gave her one more hug before drifting back. 

Snatcher paused, then offered a smile.  **“I love you, kiddo.”**

Her countenance lifted at his sincere words, and she managed a tearful smile back. 

Feeling a bit lighter himself, Snatcher’s own grin widened. Then, with a wave, he turned and phased through the wall. 

* * *

Arriving back in Subcon, Snatcher found three of his subjects’ homes blasted to pieces and magical fire licking at what was left of them. 

**“I leave him alone for ten minutes, and THIS is what I come back to?” ** Snatcher grumbled, directing his minions as the cleanup started. 

He was still their king, after all, and unless they really couldn’t do or move something on their own, he would simply provide his guidance in their efforts. He sent Moonjumper another glare, watching as the puppeteer steered clear of the Subconites while doing his part to help clean the mess he’d made. 

Turns out, those pesky fire spirits had returned shortly after Snatcher had left to check on Hat Kid. Moonjumper attempted to handle them, but it somehow turned into a verbal argument and then an actual fight. The result? Three partially destroyed treehouses and a lot of magical fire to put out, though at least the foxes had left. 

Worst of all, though, was the fact that he knew Hat Kid was still miserable, up there all alone on her ship. He didn’t know if CC was there, but he figured that the feline would be with the alien if she was on the spacecraft. She was rather loving and protective of the child, after all.

Snatcher huffed to himself as he watched his minions and Moonjumper work. This mess would take at least an hour to clean and fix, but he’d promised Hat Kid that he’d visit her as soon as he could. Being a child, an hour would certainly not qualify as “soon” to her, and he didn’t want her to be alone for that long anyways. She was his kid now, and it broke his metaphorical heart to see her so sad (and frustrated him that she wouldn’t tell him why she was so down in the first place).

“Boss?”

The ghost startled slightly at being suddenly addressed, but he was quick to regain his composure. He didn’t miss the amusement that flashed in the minion’s aura, though.  **“What?”**

“Is the kid okay?”

He sighed.  **“No, but I don’t know what’s wrong except that she’s upset about something. And I can’t leave here until this is cleaned up.”**

The Subconite put a hand to their “chin,” deep in thought, before they suddenly perked up. “Boss! What if we deliver mail to her?”

He blinked.  **“What?”**

“It always makes us happy when we get mail, so it’ll help her too!” The minion was practically bursting with joy. 

Snatcher considered it. Giving her mail was actually a sound idea, solidified by the knowledge that his minions knew Hat Kid so well so they’d know how best to help her, seeing as how he still wasn’t great at emotions and such. Plus, he knew how excited she got when someone gave her something or even when she found a rift token. 

He grinned down at his faithful subject.  **“Not a bad idea, Joey! Why don’t you gather some of the others, and make something for the kid. Remember to check with me before you deliver it!”**

The minion, Joey, gave a small salute. “Right away, boss!”

He felt Joey’s excitement and gratitude, and returned some of his own to the Subconite as they ran off to do as he instructed.

He really hoped that this would work.

* * *

Hat Kid clutched her self-made toys to her chest, vaguely aware of how she was getting them wet with her tears. She squeezed her eyes shut and curled up into as tight a ball as she could while holding seven toys in her arms, biting back a whimper. 

She wished Snatcher was with her. His presence alone had helped immensely, and he always made her feel so much better. But then he’d had to leave, and so she was alone.

Again.

Just like before.

Hat Kid rubbed at her face with one hand, willing the depressing thoughts to leave, but they never listened. Instead, they only grew worse after her attempt at repressing them, and she groaned to herself in response.

She hadn’t felt quite  _ this  _ bad in a while. It’d hit a day ago, shortly after CC had left the ship to tend to something on the planet below. The Wowl band had long returned to Dead Bird Studios, and the Mafia Boss hadn’t been on her ship for a long while. For the first time in weeks, she was well and truly  _ alone. _

The little alien wasn’t sure why it was hitting her  _ this  _ hard, honestly. She’d been piloting her ship solo for a month before arriving on Earth, and it hadn’t been nearly this bad. And she’d been alone many times before that...

… thinking harder about it, she supposed it was because now she knew what it was like to  _ not  _ be alone; to have people that showed their affection for her whether she lived up to their expectations or not. People that weren’t disappointed in her for her previous failures, and who encouraged instead of punished her when she came up short. People she could actually rely on without fear of them abandoning her.

She’d been confused, at first, then surprised when they kept treating her that way. She didn’t understand, and had been almost constantly afraid of disappointing them when she’d grown closer to them all. But slowly, slowly, Hat Kid had learned that their actions and affections were genuine and lasting, not conditional. Sure, they’d scold her from time to time when she misbehaved, but they never stopped loving her because of it.

_ That must be why I feel so bad,  _ she realized with a small jolt.  _ I’m scared of losing that love. _

But she knew they wouldn’t abandon her; not after all they’d been through. Sure, almost all of her friends had once turned their backs on her, but now they were close enough that she considered them all family. Yet, even with that knowledge, those stupid fears still pestered her.

Not to mention that, thanks to her upbringing, she was still really confused and conflicted about—

“Kid?”

Hat Kid jumped with a squeak and whirled around, getting tangled in her blanket as she did so and almost falling off of the bed thanks to her sudden scrambling. 

“Oh, uh… sorry for scaring you!”

It was an upside-down Subconite.

Surprised, Hat Kid rolled onto her stomach so they were rightside-up and detangled herself from her covers, a little embarrassed now that her heart rate was gradually returning to normal and she realized how silly she must have just looked. She must’ve been so deep in thought that she hadn’t even heard them come in. Oops.

“Are you okay?” the minion asked, and the alien realized that they were holding their hands behind their back. Odd…

She gave them a small nod and forced smile in answer to their question, but she could tell that they weren’t convinced. Thankfully, they didn’t press.

“Well, the boss wanted me to deliver this to you!” They brought their little hands forward, revealing a box wrapped in Subcon-purple paper. 

Her interest instantly piqued, Hat Kid took it from them and held it carefully. It felt somewhat heavy, yet its weight seemed perfectly balanced on her hand no matter how she tilted it. Thanks, Subcon magic.

Trying not to appear too eager, she wiped her face on her sleeve before opening the gift. Taking the lid off of the simple cardboard box, her eyes widened at what was inside. Gently, she grabbed the small stack of papers and lifted them out, letting the minion take the box for her as she spread the parchments over her bed to look at them all.

They were pictures. Well, more accurately, they were drawings, done in crayon and clearly with a child’s hand. Each one was different, but they almost all consisted of Hat Kid with the minions or Snatcher doing an activity or just standing next to each other. A couple even depicted her playing with human children wearing joyful masks, who she guessed were the Subconites before they died. 

Amazed, the alien tore her eyes from the drawings and looked at the minion with a question in her gaze. They caught on easily and were quick to answer.

“It wasn’t just me!” they replied happily to her silent inquiry. “A ton of us got together to make these for you, to cheer you up!”

Hat Kid didn’t realize she was crying again until she blinked and felt water trail down her cheeks, and she hopped off of her bed to engulf the Subconite in a tight hug. 

“Thank you,” she said simply, voice hoarse from crying and disuse. “Thank you.”

The minion’s surprise was clear even without being able to see their expression, but they were quick to return the hug. They relaxed with relief when they felt Hat Kid’s aura brighten, and they were sure to send a message to Snatcher that their plan had worked. 

Their boss’ response containing his own relief and gratitude came instantly. 

Hat Kid pulled away with some reluctance several seconds later, and she wiped at her face with her dirty sleeve. “Thank you,” she told them again, grinning wide. 

“Happy to help!” the minion gladly replied. “Now, let’s get you cleaned up! The boss gave us permission to play some games with you too, if you want.”

Her expression lit up with hope. “You’re staying?”

“Of course!” The Subconite was quick to answer, but made a mental note of the fear they’d noticed flash across her face before they spoke. “Some of the others are excited to join us, too. They just didn’t want to overwhelm you!”

Hat Kid giggled, feeling a giant weight lift from her shoulders. “Tell them to come! I’ll go wash up.”

As she ran off to her kitchen, tears filled her eyes while love flooded her heart. She wasn’t alone anymore, and she had the coolest noodle ghost dad and spirit family ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Leave a comment below to tell me what you think of it. Next chapter will be coming soon, and will be something a little different! ;)


	5. Days 5/6: Your Contract Has Expired; Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Hurt/comfort and family - set after The Puppeteer) Hat Kid questions Snatcher about his music—particularly about the two tracks that can be played during the fight and why they’re so different. Combining prompts because I can. =3
> 
> Also, listen to this if you haven’t for proper context: https://youtu.be/9iUKSxYmIKE  
I recommend listening to it again when it starts in the story ;)

He could feel her staring at him. Snatcher quickly looked her way from his spot on his chair, and Hat Kid averted her eyes just as fast. At least he’d caught her this time, unlike his previous three attempts.

**“I know I don’t have anything on my face, so what’s up, kiddo?” ** He set his book down and shifted to face her better, smirking at her casual seat on his floor with her legs sticking diagonally out in front of her. She had one of his big books open and resting on her legs, though Snatcher knew she hadn’t really been reading it much.

She blinked twice before smiling sheepishly and absently playing with the edge of her dress. “I, um, wanted to ask you something.” 

He narrowed his eyes slightly, suspicious of her nervousness.  **“I’m all ears, kid.”**

Hat Kid took a deep breath before staring up at him with wide, curious eyes. “How does your music work?”

… well, of all the things he expected her to ask,  _ that  _ certainly was not on the list.  **“What?”**

“How does your music work?” she repeated with a small hand gesture at him. “Waaaay back when I fought you, there was this intense music. Then there was special music for the Death Wishes, too, but it seemed like it was coming from everywhere at once.”

His expression relaxed with realization, but he didn’t get a chance to answer before she kept on talking.

“I mean, at Dead Bird Studios they often played music through their speakers, and the Mafia Boss I fought at a theater so of course they’d have music there.” She tilted her head slightly, and Snatcher had to fight a grin at how cute that simple action made her look. “So how does  _ your  _ music work?”

He chuckled.  **“Magic, kiddo.”**

She rolled her eyes, clearly dissatisfied with the answer. “There’s gotta be more to it than that! How do you make it? Where does it come from? Do your minions play the instruments? Why are there so many—”

**“Whoa there, kid!” ** Snatcher interrupted with a laugh, making a placating gesture with both hands.  **“One question at a time! Why are you so curious about this now?”**

She shrugged with a smirk. “I just am! Yesterday, I started listening to the song that played during yo—”

**“Hold up.” ** He cut her off with a raised hand, proceeding to lean forward slightly and look at her with narrowed, scrutinizing eyes.  **“You ** ** _listened _ ** **to one of my songs? Without doing my contracts?” ** That shouldn’t have been possible.

Hat Kid giggled at his confusion. “I listen to a lot of your music! Most of them are really cool, though others have a lot of noise in them.”

He frowned, a bit offended by that last comment, and was now feeling more lost than ever.  **“Okay, but ** ** _how _ ** **are you listening to them?”**

Her grin was so smug, he wasn’t sure if he could trust that she was telling the truth or not in the first place. “Answer my question first!”

He huffed in annoyance.  **“Promise you’ll show me after I answer your question?”**

“Promise!” she agreed, giving such a big nod that she almost tipped forward.

Snatcher chuckled at her childishness, resisted the temptation to form a contract of their agreement, and adopted a thoughtful look on his face.  **“Well, with my music, I compose it in a way to try and make you feel a certain emotion.”**

She stuck her tongue out at him. “That’s what all music does!”

Slightly irritated but smirking, he flicked her hat off of her head in simple response to her sass.

“Hey!” She managed to catch her hat before it hit the ground, but fell onto her back in doing so.

He snickered at her new position.  **“Do you want the answer or not, kid?”**

She sat up, plopped her hat back on her head, and gave him a disgruntled look of defiance as she crossed her arms. “Fiiiine.”

He grinned.  **“All of my music is made through magical composition, and I always have access to it. It’s basically like my pocket dimension, just with different applications.”**

She squinted a little but nodded, trying to follow along with his explanation. Magic was always tricky to make full sense of. “Okay. How come some of your music is like, um, electronic and stuff, and some aren’t?”

**“I can make more than just one type of music, kid!” ** Snatcher pointed out with a light laugh.  **“Like I said before, I make my music to make you feel a certain way. Which, for my Death Wish contracts you did, was usually to try and make you feel invigorated or panicked, so I used a lot of synths and other electronic sounds to accomplish that.”**

Hat Kid snickered, distinctly remembering how well that worked as she’d flailed her way through some of the Death Wishes. “Well, you did a good job then!”

**“I know!” ** The ghostly king grinned.  **“So, did that answer all of your questions? Care to show me how you can apparently access my music even though you’re not supposed to be able to?”**

She giggled at that, but shook her head. “Actually, I do have  _ one  _ more question, but it might be kinda personal.”

**“Shoot,” ** he urged, honestly curious about what it could possibly be. His music wasn’t  _ that  _ personal to him, so—

“Why is the second version of your fight song so, like, emotionally intense? It’s, uh, it’s the version with real instruments and stuff. Why is it so different from the others? I haven’t listened to all of it yet, ‘cause I wanted to ask you about it first. It never played in any of your challenges, either!” She watched his reaction carefully, her interest in the subject only increasing as his expression went from shocked to muted and pensive.

Several long seconds passed in silence, and Hat Kid started to get nervous before he finally spoke.

**“That… well, do you want the full disclosure, kid? It’s a long story.” ** His tone sounded like an unreleased sigh, but he was willing to answer her question. He was in a good mood, and since he’d practically unofficially adopted her at this point, he might as well be transparent about his answer. He knew she’d never stop bugging him about it otherwise. 

Inwardly, he recognized that he was also so willing to talk about it because he could later use this as leverage to get more knowledge on Hat Kid’s own backstory, too. His lack of info on that subject had annoyed him for a while now, and every time he’d tried to ask her about it, she’d dodged or diverted his questions like a pro.

Hat Kid, oblivious to his inner thoughts, brightened up and adjusted into a more comfortable position that Snatcher chuckled at, closing the book sprawled across her legs and setting it aside to do so. “Yeah!”

**“Alright, then let me start from the beginning. Back when I was alive, I really loved music. Of course, things were a bit different way back then, but I went to concerts when I could and always paid attention to performers on the roads when I had the chance.” ** He purposely didn’t mention how Vanessa loved attending performances with him until she banned him from doing so, wanting all of his time to herself.

Hat Kid’s eyes were wide, attitude completely discarded now in favor of giving him her full attention. “Is that why there’s that frozen instrument in that destroyed house?”

He raised an invisible eyebrow, inwardly impressed by her sharp recollection and interested in how the heck she made that connection so quickly.  **“Sort of. That place has a long history of its own, as well as pretty much that entire part of the forest.” ** He waved a hand dismissively.  **“But that’s a tale for another day.”**

A few minions, apparently having sensed that it was story time, began to enter the tree and gather around Hat Kid on the floor. Snatcher suddenly felt like he was on a stage or something, given their curious auras and undivided attention.

Well, if it was a show they wanted, then he’d gladly provide one!

With an eager, devilish grin, the Soul Stealer drifted into the air a bit and raised his arms. Drawing upon his summoning magic, he conjured a large sheet of blank contract paper that stretched four meters across and two meters up. As it hovered above his claws, he mentally commanded pictures to be drawn on it in magical ink. The black strokes of an invisible quill bled across the page to form silhouettes of various instruments, the effect mesmerizing and impossible to look away from.

Hat Kid and the Subconites—when had they doubled in number??—scooted backwards slightly to get a better view of the spectacle, their awe clear on their faces and in their voices as they let out soft “ooh’s” and “ah’s.”

Snatcher held back a laugh and instead widened his grin, fueled by their reactions.  **“As a prince, there wasn’t much outside of my reach. Thanks to this, I tried many different instruments. Most of them were strings, and I found that I liked the violin best.”**

The drawings of the instruments faded except for the violin, and the prince was soon depicted playing it.

**“I practiced it almost constantly as I grew up, but I didn’t have nearly as much time for it when I began my schooling to become a lawyer. Even so, I was sure to make time to practice occasionally. It was very relaxing for me, and a great break during my arduous studies.”**

The images moved and changed with his words, visually bringing them to life as the prince grew up and the violin was carefully set aside. A desk with paperwork and a candle appeared, and everything was still depicted as silhouettes.

Snatcher’s expression dimmed.  **“After Vanessa went crazy and destroyed the kingdom, I gave in to the darkness and became what I am now. I lost ** ** _everything… _ ** **including my humanity and compassion.”**

Sharp streaks of black suddenly shot across the paper right after he spoke, impaling the prince and violently dashing the desk and the violin to pieces. The magical ink smudged and started to stream down the paper, though, true to its arcane nature, the summoned liquid didn’t leave the page and instead pooled at the bottom of the conjured stationary.

The black mass slowly lifted and formed into the Snatcher, and this time his face was shown. With an expression that was the embodiment of misery, the image clutched at his head and appeared to wail in agonized fury despite no sound coming from him.

Hat Kid felt chills run up and down her spine, and she subconsciously gripped her shirt in both hands. The Subconites were respectfully silent and still, and the atmosphere of the room became heavy and somber.

**“Many years passed, but I still couldn’t feel much,” ** Snatcher continued with a soft frown.

Minions appeared on the paper with the stroke of the unseen quill, and the ink-Snatcher’s expression lifted into an evil grin as he ruled with an air of intimidation and malice.

**“And then, as I was experimenting with my powers one day, I discovered something rather… interesting, and unexpected as my thoughts drifted to the music I had known in life.”**

A soft tune began to play from nowhere and everywhere at once. It was a simple melody that Hat Kid quickly recognized as Subcon’s theme; it was littered throughout Snatcher’s compositions, after all. Ink-Snatcher lifted his head in sudden realization, and the melody was joined by a lower harmony. As Ink-Snatcher raised his claws, the music changed again to include a more complex harmony and bassline.

**“I experimented a lot with it and, thanks to how emotional music can be, I began to feel again. It was small and weak, but I ** ** _felt _ ** **it.” ** Snatcher’s smile returned, and he looked deep in thought as he continued,  **“It scared me, at first, but the more I played around with music, the better I felt with what little emotion I was capable of feeling.”**

Ink-Snatcher slowly grew a little more compassionate towards his minions, now directing them instead of throwing or shoving them to wherever he wanted them to go and occasionally delivering mail to them. His sharp claws gradually softened into the fingers he had now, and his expression wasn’t quite so full of rage anymore. The music faded out as the real specter resumed his tale.

**“And then you came along,” ** Snatcher said, looking at Hat Kid with a smirk as her silhouette appeared next to his inky counterpart.  **“I thought you were like every other unfortunate soul that wandered into my domain, but you quickly disproved that, kiddo.”**

Some of the minions looked at her or nudged her, and she giggled before puffing her chest out a little with pride.

**“At first, you made me so mad, kid,” ** Snatcher admitted to no one’s surprise, his tone light. As Ink-Snatcher kept throwing things at Ink-Hat Kid and she kept dodging them, the depicted ghost raged.  **“No matter what I threw at you—even my advanced contracts—you found ways to overcome them somehow.” ** He smiled bittersweetly.  **“It wasn’t until you left for your home planet that I realized that I was starting to actually care about you, much as I wanted to deny it.”**

The magical ink moved across the page to show Snatcher reaching out as Ink-Hat Kid morphed into her spaceship and left. Ink-Snatcher’s hand remained raised for a bit, before he slowly lowered it and turned so his face could be seen. The expression there was one of confusion, conflict, and longing.

**“It took me a few days before it really sank in,” ** Snatcher went on, his grin softening.  **“And when it did… I realized that I could ** ** _feel _ ** **again. Really, truly feel. Maybe not as much as when I was alive, but it was still strong, and frankly overwhelming.” ** His smile faded.  **“Unfortunately, negative emotions were included in that package, and my minions can tell you how miserable I was for a little while.” ** He shook his head, a smirk finding its way back onto his face as he let out a chuckle.  **“I don’t know how the heck you did it, kid, but you made me rediscover my emotions. Not even my music was able to do that.”**

Hat Kid’s eyes widened, and she visibly felt honored by his simple, yet heartfelt statement. It was true, though; she  _ had  _ noticed that there was something of a difference in him and his attitude after she’d returned to Earth. She’d had no idea that it was herself that had caused it, though.

**“I’ll admit I was pretty sour about the whole emotions thing, initially,” ** Snatcher continued, grinning at the little alien.  **“I didn’t know what to do with myself, and sulking around wasn’t helping at all. So, I turned back to making music, and… well, even then nothing I tried seemed to help much, until I delved deeper and opened up a bit more.”**

Hat Kid and the minions perked up as an elongated low note faded into existence; the start, she soon recognized, to his orchestral version of the song that had played during her first fight against him. Ink-Snatcher looked to be concentrating deeply, closing his eyes and slowly raising his hands as though conducting the orchestra himself.

**“I shut everything else out as I composed this piece,” ** Snatcher went on.  **“Once I started, I found that I couldn’t stop. Not that I wanted to, really, especially since my kingdom had been quiet lately and my minions knew how to contact me if they needed me. And, for the first time since my death…” ** He smiled.  **“... I let all of my emotions out in the form of music.”**

Ink-Snatcher’s eyes flew open as the drums hit and the strings struck with a syncopated rhythm. Some of the strings changed in pitch to create tension, then went down once more to resolve the tension with suspense. The music launched into Subcon’s iconic theme with a French horn, and Ink-Snatcher started to grin as embellishments adorned the melody.

Hat Kid found herself bouncing her head slightly to the beat, and the awe in her expression grew. Snatcher watched all of the excited children with his signature grin, but he focused on the alien most of the time.

The music grew in intensity, until it broke out into the second melody with a flourish of bells and chimes. The overall tone of the song took on an air of budding hope, and then transitioned into the part that made Hat Kid think of royalty and caused her to subconsciously sit up just a little straighter.

Some of the instruments backed off into a softer melody, and as it continued to progress, Snatcher started speaking again.

**“I initially wanted this song to reflect just the best parts of myself,” ** he explained quietly, his expression pensive.  **“But, almost without realizing it, I started to put more of myself—and my memories—into the music.”**

The music softened further, and a gentle melody on piano began to play. Accented by the strings and given a tension and release that made your heart ache with longing, Hat Kid could almost see the storybook pages that detailed Snatcher and Vanessa’s past as the notes pushed desperately forward, and she could  _ feel  _ the hopelessness and utter heartbreak it evoked.

Then, the song built up briefly before the notes soared upwards in a harsh beat, and Hat Kid could envision the Snatcher she now knew bursting into the afterlife with rage and power. She shivered and chills ran up and down her arms as the intensity of the music was reignited, fiercer than before with the organ and choir joining the ranks.   
  
Snatcher’s eyes were narrowed as the action-packed part played through, his grin menacing and sharp, but his expression softened during the interlude and as the tone of the music lightened, becoming more hopeful than before.  **“And that’s when I started thinking about you again, kiddo.” ** He chuckled good-naturedly and reached down to affectionately tousle her hair beneath her hat.

The little alien giggled jovially and beamed up at him, purely happy that she’d been able to make a positive difference in his afterlife. The music swelled into a theme that didn’t quite resemble Subcon’s, and Hat Kid realized with a start that it was  _ her  _ melody that was now playing.

Snatcher saw her expression change and winked at her.  **“That’s right, kid; I’ve heard you playing that piano of yours on your ship. I figured, what better way to represent you than to weave your own song into mine?”**

At first, Hat Kid wasn’t sure whether she should be angry that he’d sneakily eavesdropped on her or honored that he’d included her self-proclaimed theme into his work. She soon decided on the latter, though, and ducked her head bashfully as she gave him a warm, joy-filled grin.

The music began to fade, and Subcon’s theme chimed hauntingly once more before the song truly ended. Everyone present was left with the ominous feeling it represented, and Snatcher grinned. Their reactions to his music were extremely validating, and he happily made Ink-Snatcher bow before dismissing the magical parchment in a poof of colored smoke.

The sound of clapping immediately caught his attention, and he looked down to see Hat Kid on her feet and applauding him. The Subconites soon joined in, and even the few Dwellers that were around performed loops in the air to convey their happiness.

Snatcher wasn’t sure if it was possible for a ghost to blush, but he was certain that he would be right then if he could. He’d been praised and revered plenty in the past, but those were usually to appease him and his rage as he dealt with various contractors and other intruders. It was rare that anyone actually meant it, outside of his own minions.

This, however, was… different. It was so much more sincere, and it was clear that they actually appreciated and enjoyed what he’d just done for them. It felt far better than he imagined it would, and the huge grin on his face was completely authentic.

Hat Kid ran up to him and jumped, wrapping her little arms around his neck in a big hug. “That was awesome!” she exclaimed loudly, nuzzling her face against his. “That was so, so awesome!! Thank you, Snatcher!”

He laughed and gladly returned the hug, and though he didn’t nuzzle her back (that was something weird the child had picked up from Cooking Cat), he used one hand to affectionately ruffle her hair. She didn’t seem to care that him doing so knocked off her hat, but fortunately it was quickly picked up and set safely aside as every minion in the vicinity swarmed around Snatcher to join the hug themselves.

Snatcher knew he didn’t have an actual heart—he couldn’t; he was a ghost—but, somehow, he felt as though he did as love blossomed with a comfortable warmth throughout his entire being. He’d been convinced for so long that Vanessa had taken everything from him, but he knew now that that wasn’t true. He had a new family, and they all meant more to him than he could even comprehend, let alone put into words.

Adjusting his arms so he was supporting Hat Kid with one, he used his now-free hand to reach down and affectionately pat his minions’ heads. He laughed jovially again as their happiness compounded on his own, and he sent them aural waves of gratitude and platonic love. Hat Kid had opened his eyes to a better perspective, and he finally recognized how much his faithful minions did for him and helped him. They’d been there for him through everything, and he was astonished at how blind he’d previously been to that fact.

**“Thank you, kid,” ** he uttered softly, his voice quiet and sincere. For once,  _ he _ was the one to hug her tightly first, even though she was already latched onto him, and he wrapped both arms around her while gently touching his forehead to her own.

The little alien’s eyes went huge, shocked that he was the one initiating the affectionate gestures, but she quickly overcame her surprise to hug him extra tightly and nuzzle against his head with a joyful, big smile. “You’re welcome!”

Snatcher chuckled and pulled back after a moment, though he still kept his arms around her. He looked down at his minions, his grin still sincere.  **“Thank you, to ** ** _all _ ** **of you.”**

The Subconites responded with more hugs and happy exclamations of reply:

“Always here for ya, boss!”   
  


“Sure thing!”

“Awww, bossss~!”

“Thank YOU, Snatcher!”

“You’re the best boss ever!”

_ “Even me?” _

Everyone looked up with surprise at the unexpected speaker, who happened to be Moonjumper. No one had noticed his arrival, but he was currently peering through one of the holes in Snatcher’s tree, leaning on his elbows and grinning wryly down at the specter.

**“NOT you!” ** Snatcher didn’t waste a beat and the corpse  _ barely  _ avoided taking a blue fireball to the face, falling back with a laugh. Snatcher rolled his eyes and grinned with amusement and annoyance, while Hat Kid laughed outright.

The two still weren’t on the best terms with each other, but Moonjumper actually turned out to be rather mischievous, and Hat Kid found it hilarious that the ghosts bonded best over pranking Vanessa in various ways. She joined them when they let her, though of course they all had to be careful. Still, though, it was definitely one of her favorite things to do with the two.

_ “I was only teasing!”  _ Moonjumper defended himself, poking his head into the entrance and still grinning widely. He let out a yelp and had to dodge another fireball, this one singing the edges of his already torn clothes.  _ “Alright, alright, I am leaving!” _

Snatcher leaned to the side to watch the corpse leave.  **“Yeah, well you ruined the moment, moonboy!” ** he shouted, and Moonjumper just let out a laugh without even pausing. Snatcher grumbled something under his breath before straightening back up and grinning down at Hat Kid again, who was giggling about the whole thing.  **“Don’t encourage him.”**

“You’re just jealous ‘cause he’s funnier than you!” Hat Kid taunted, sticking her tongue out at the Soul Stealer.

Snatcher gasped in (mostly) fake offense.  **“Oh, now ** ** _that’s _ ** **a low blow, kid,” ** he complained playfully, touseling her hair roughly to purposely mess it up.

“Hey!” She swatted at his hands, giggling as she tried to fix her now-messy hair.

He laughed.  **“Alright, I held up my end of the deal. Time for you to fulfil yours, kiddo.”**

“Oh yeah!” The little alien perked up and grinned smugly at the ghost. “I listen to music with my magic record player!”

Snatcher blinked, staring at her.  **“... seriously?” ** He smirked.  **“All that advanced alien tech, and it’s a ** ** _record player?”_ **

Hat Kid nodded vigorously. “Yup! C’mon, I’ll show you!” She jumped down and grabbed his hand without a second thought, and Snatcher’s non-existent heart stopped for a moment.

Hugs he was used to at this point, and he was even starting to enjoy them with Hat Kid. But, as he stared down with wide eyes at her little hand grasping one of his fingers—he always forgot just how small this child was, especially compared to him—the fatherly instinct within him exploded and his metaphorical heart melted. He was hardly aware of his minions cooing and “aww!”-ing, too distracted by the sudden wave of emotions crashing over him to pay them any heed.

He had always wanted a child. When he was alive, he’d dreamed of being able to reach down to a baby—one that was his—and let them grasp onto his fingers with their chubby yet strong, tiny hands. To guide a toddler that was his kid, teaching them to walk and leading them with their hand in his. To raise a child of his own, and give them everything; give them all of the happiness that he possibly could.

Now, with Hat Kid grasping his finger with her entire, little hand, those long-forgotten desires of his heart returned and hit him like a cold slap to the face, and he had absolutely no idea how to react to it.

“—Snatcher?”

Hat Kid’s worried voice finally cut through his frozen thoughts and he blinked hard, looking down at the girl with wide eyes.

“Are you okay?” she asked, her head tilted ever so slightly as she gazed up at him with concern. Her grip on his finger was tight.

It was then that he realized that he was crying—a lot. He lifted his free hand to wipe away the tears streaming down his face, and he gave the alien a genuine smile.  **“Yeah, kid, I’m fine. I just—I’m… yeah.” ** He let out a quiet laugh and reached down, picking Hat Kid up and hugging her close to him.  **“I love you, kiddo.”**

Despite her obvious confusion and lingering concern, she brightened right back up and hugged him back immediately. “I love you too, Dad!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LIIIIIIVE! Eheh, sorry for my absence, y'all. Life gets crazy, but I'm finally back to it! Prepare for some good 'ol angst and fluff; the last installment of this is in the works! ;)
> 
> I HAVE A TUMBLR NOW! I decided to make a Tumblr dedicated to my writings, so if y'all want updates, sneak-peeks, or just want to chat and ask me stuff, come bug me at https://zurielwritings23.tumblr.com =D


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